


Nocturnal

by kirschyhershey



Category: In the Bleak Midwinter (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Dark, F/M, Music, One Shot, Self-Indulgent, Tension, This is what happens when you live off a steady diet of POTO and Labyrinth, brief references of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29797698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirschyhershey/pseuds/kirschyhershey
Summary: The piano beckoned to her like a siren, and Anya had no choice but to oblige to its call.
Relationships: Anya/Delta, Delta/Anya
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Nocturnal

Anya tossed and turned in the far too-large bed. She had never slept on a mattress so soft and feathery-light in all her life, and yet she felt as restless as ever. She drifted her hand over the satin pillow she laid her head on. Any sane person would submit to sleep in an instant--but most sane people don’t usually experience what Anya had endured over the past few months. _The past 25 years._

Sleep beckoned to her, but she couldn’t oblige to its request. Instead, she turned over to gaze out of the large windows that encompassed her bedroom. The twinkling city lights illuminated the room in an ultraviolet glow that seemed almost transcendental. She wondered what kind of nightlife existed amongst the androids--and what they did in the daytime for that matter. There was still so little Anya knew of the world of which she had been reborn. 

Suddenly, a strange noise wafted into her room, a noise so achingly familiar and yet one she hadn’t heard for so long. _Music._ Specifically, a piano. A sharp intake of air filled Anya's lungs. When was the last time she’d even heard a piano? And more importantly, _where_ was it being played? Anya couldn't recall seeing one on location, but then again, she hadn’t exactly been comfortable enough to explore the large penthouse that evidently served as her temporary home now. She glanced at the little clock on her bedside table and winced: too late for it to still be night and yet far too early to be considered morning. Weighing her options, she then shrugged and slipped out of the bed coverings. Now may as well be the perfect time to explore. Grabbing the robe draped over her chair, Anya quietly exited her room and set out to locate the source of the music.

She strolled softly through the dimly-lit building, drinking in the surroundings. The penthouse was elegant and polished, and while Anya wouldn’t describe the place as bare, the rooms didn’t contain any unnecessary furniture or household ornaments. Instead, everything was kept tastefully simple, practically clinical. 

She focused her attention back to the faint sounds of the piano which had now drifted into a delicate yet somber melody. It floated in the air like the gentle smoke whispering from a candle that had just been snuffed out.  
She was reminded of the heroines who wandered at night through darkly grand mansions in those old movies filled with ghosts and dust her mother used to watch. Except the penthouse wasn’t lavish in the same way, and there was no dust, and Anya _certainly_ knew she wasn’t the heroine. Instead, she was the ghost. 

The piano, now taking a dramatic turn, beckoned to her like a siren, and Anya had no choice but to oblige to its call. It led her up a winding staircase onto a large hallway before settling behind a discreetly ordinary door kept ajar, as if it were expecting her. She paused as she listened to the music. She already knew the person responsible for the performance, and yet this didn’t stop Anya from pressing her hand to her stomach in an attempt to suppress the growing unease there. After all, this was the same android that had taken her in without permission and flooded her head with forgotten memories of water.

Anya stood in the doorway peering at the man who played on a large piano near the opposite end of the room, his back facing her. Anya didn't know much about instruments, so she couldn't tell if it was a baby grand or grand piano-- _Grand,_ she ultimately decided, _Delta wouldn't settle for anything less._ She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The room was strikingly different from the rest of the base. The usual cool, fluorescent lights were replaced with dozens of candles lit all over, encasing the room in an amber glow. It appeared to be a study, with desks and furniture all made from polished mahogany wood. Bookshelves lined the walls, its tomes embossed in gold. 

Her eyes then fell on Delta, who, oddly enough, was in the segment of the room that held the least amount of light. The crisp sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows so that his hands and lower arms would remain free while playing. The android appeared to be performing by memory, as there was no evidence of sheet music near the piano. The way he played sounded calm enough, but the music was slowly building and became increasingly heated until he reached a new section where he unleashed a flurry of tempestuous notes. Delta certainly held an exceptional range of contrast--one minute he'd bang the keys with reckless abandon, other times he'd lightly trace each note with such tenderness in his fingertips, as if he were afraid that applying any more pressure would break the keys. Anya tilted her head as she listened. Previously, she had only seen the android as a poised individual with his cards held close. But now she wondered if this piece represented a similar sense of emotional turmoil and anger Delta must be feeling. He kept everything under wraps, but something boiled underneath his cool, calm exterior. Come to think of it, she had never seen this man in any state of vulnerability before, as it was strange to even witness him sitting down. Delta always stood during their interactions with his hands folded neatly behind his back in an intimidating stance. He wasn’t as tall as Alexei or Omega, but the way he elongated himself and radiated dominance in every inch of his body made Anya feel that she’d never been smaller. 

His hands drifted up and down the piano with a tensive passion that vibrated off of the keys. Anya swore she could hear his artificial breaths rising and falling with the music. She took note of his skill; she was surprised that the android had taken the time to perfect a hobby like this. _Well,_ she thought, _he does have long, slender fingers which must be well-suited for playing the piano._ How could she forget those fingers that slyly toyed with her hair that fateful first night at the penthouse? She even remembered the pale hand reaching out to her all those years ago at Dreamscape. Anya grimaced, shaking her head. _Where did that thought come from?_

After performing a particularly fiery transition, Delta traveled by chromatic scale up the piano, instinctively implying that the music would lead to an even more dramatic section, but as he reached the end of the scale, the anger suddenly evaporated and reverted back to the delicate, gloomy mood of the first theme. Anya felt her breath catch at the seamless transition. It struck a chord within her soul. 

He continued the brooding theme a little longer before reaching a point where it seemed he was about to finish the piece with a final resolving chord. But instead of ending in its original minor key, Delta resolved the chord to its parallel major key which triggered an abrupt tonal shift. Now the music was bright and bouncy, and while it didn’t quite correlate with the rest of the piece, Anya found herself enjoying it nonetheless. It was difficult not to note the feeling of glee emanating from the android as his whole demeanor switched to match the mood of the work. 

After a minute or so, Delta ended the piece with a flourish. He lifted his hands from the keys to the level of his chest and kept them there, letting the final chord ring through the air until the vibrations of the piano finally settled into the walls. Only then did he slowly and gracefully let his hands fall to his lap with no movement anywhere else in his body. He remained silent like this for a few moments.

“Do you like what you see, Anya?” 

He purred without turning to acknowledge the blonde’s presence. 

Delta’s words startled her. Anya hadn’t realized how long she'd stood there gawking at the android. _Of course_ he knew she was there, but still, a tinge of annoyance struck her because she knew without a doubt he was savouring every hint of her discomfort. She kept her hands clasped near her chest as she spoke,

“I-uh, the music got really happy there at the end.”

At this, Delta turned his head slightly towards her, a devilish look sparking his eyes. Anya could see glints of emerald within the shadows all the way from where she stood. Tendrils of his usually perfect slicked-back hair had fallen across his forehead and he made no effort to remedy it. 

“Yes, I think that specific section of music will be running through my mind when we track down the vermin who captured my brother." A hint of a smile plays at his lips, "When I rip the jugular veins from their necks using only my teeth."

It was remarkable how calm his tone was.

Anya shuddered violently, forcing herself to swallow but struggling since her throat was as dry as sandpaper. It was all she could do to push the image from her mind of a figure clothed in white. _Clawing at their throat. Choking on their own blood._ Anya gritted her teeth. Now was not the time to grapple with that trauma; it would only add one more tool for Delta to use as a weapon against her. She carried on, choosing to ignore his response.

"Who taught you to play like that?"

Delta gave her a vague smile and repositioned himself on the bench so that he could fully face her.

"What brings you here so late at night, Anya?"

Anya hadn't really planned on conversing with the man before her, so she found herself hurriedly racking her brain trying to come up with an excuse.

"I was wondering if you'd gotten any word about Omega and Ivan--"

"Ah, Anya," the man tilted his head, his tone chiding. "Don't you think if I knew anything, I would've already told you? That I would be dawdling at the piano with fresh news?"

Anya lowered her eyes while Delta continued to stare at her. He gave a slight lift of his brow.

"Let's try this again, shall we? Why are you _really_ here?'

Anya froze for a minute before a thought crossed her mind and she looked up to return the man's gaze, this time with a fierce determination set in her eyes. She let her arms fall to her sides.

"I wanted to ask you-- to talk to you about something." 

Delta raised an eyebrow, sizing her up with his eyes, and was met with a steeled gaze of her own. Two pairs of green eyes glowered at one another. Unblinking. Daring the other to make a hasty move, until Delta, at last, stood up. He shifted to the side of the bench and emerged slowly out of the darkness.

"Very well." He placed his hands behind his back and aligned his posture, resuming the towering presence Anya was used to, "Shut the door on your way in."

Anya took a step in the room, bathing herself in the warm radiance of the candles. No longer in the shadows, the candlelight danced off her blonde hair in rays of copper and gold, encircling the crown of her head like a halo.

She closed the door knowing full well she was entering the lair of the devil.

**Author's Note:**

> The solo piano piece Delta performs is Mozart's [Fantasia in D minor, K. 397](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGLVsuK2u7o)


End file.
